The maintenance corridor stretched deeper than Jack anticipated, twisting and turning like the bowels of some sleeping beast. The walls, once pristine and smooth, were now stained with rust and patches of organic growths — fungi and mosses glowing faintly, casting an eerie green light that mingled with the flickering remnants of electric life.
Lena walked closely behind, her footsteps hesitant but steady.
> "How deep do you think this place goes?" she asked quietly.
Jack didn't answer immediately. He was listening.
There was a sound beneath their steps — not echoes, but a pulse. Faint but rhythmic, like a distant heartbeat. It wasn't natural. It was mechanical, artificial, yet alive in its own way.
> "We're heading towards the source," Jack finally said. "Whatever powers this place... it's still running."
They moved deeper, passing through rusted doors and broken panels. On some walls, faded signs still clung, their letters barely readable.
> GENESIS RESEARCH FACILITY
Section Theta - Authorized Personnel Only
Jack stopped.
> "Genesis..." he whispered.
> "What is it?" Lena asked.
> "I've heard of this name. Genesis was one of the old world's tech conglomerates. They specialized in energy, weaponry... and experiments no one understood."
Lena looked uneasy.
> "Like what?"
Jack shrugged grimly.
> "Rumors. They said Genesis worked on creating synthetic life, weapons powered by... things they pulled from the sky, or the void. Stuff people weren't meant to touch."
The pulse grew stronger as they pressed on.
Eventually, they reached a vast chamber. The walls opened into a circular space, cables hanging like veins, conduits lining every surface. In the center stood a massive cylinder, its glass cracked but still intact. Inside... a swirling mass of dark mist, shot through with flickers of crimson light.
It wasn't smoke.
It was alive.
As they approached, consoles around the cylinder sparked to life, displays flickering with ancient code and symbols. A soft, artificial voice filled the room — warped by time but still decipherable.
> "Containment breach... status: unstable. Host vessel required."
Lena stepped back, eyes wide.
> "What the hell is that?"
Jack stared, his heart pounding. The mist inside the cylinder... it looked familiar. Not by sight — but by feeling. Deep in his bones, in his blood.
> "I've seen this before," he muttered. "In dreams. In... the Mist."
Then one of the displays changed — a blurry image of a human silhouette, wrapped in shadow, eyes glowing red.
The text beneath it read:
> Subject: Echo of the Eclipse
Host compatibility: Pending
Current viability: 47%
Jack's breath caught.
> "Echo of the Eclipse..."
Lena looked between him and the display.
> "Wait. That's what the man at the camp said. That you carried it."
Jack stepped closer to the cylinder, drawn in spite of himself. As he did, the pulse aligned with his heartbeat, syncing perfectly.
> "Host identified," the voice intoned. "Subject compatible."
Jack stumbled back.
> "No. That's not possible."
The mist inside the cylinder stirred — not randomly, but with purpose, moving as if it recognized him.
> "Jack?" Lena whispered.
Jack's mind raced. He'd survived things others hadn't. The Mist didn't kill him, it whispered to him. And now this...
> "They did something," Jack muttered. "Before the world fell apart... Genesis, the Citadel, whoever. They made this. They made me."
He gritted his teeth.
> "I'm the host."
The realization weighed heavy — not just on his mind, but in his body. Like a lock clicking into place, he felt a presence stir within him, faint but undeniable. A connection.
Lena was pale.
> "What does that mean? Are you... dangerous?"
Jack clenched his fists, steadying himself.
> "I don't know yet. But I'm sure the Citadel knows. And those mercenaries... they're hunting the host."
Suddenly, alarms blared — weak, but urgent.
> "External breach detected. Unauthorized personnel entering Sector Theta."
Jack cursed.
> "They found us."
Footsteps echoed from the corridor behind — voices shouting, weapons clattering.
> "We need to move," he snapped. "We can't let them catch us. Not here."
Lena nodded, fear in her eyes but trust in her steps.
Jack gave the mist one last glance. He didn't understand it yet, but part of it was inside him — and somehow, it would either be his weapon... or his doom.
Either way, the path forward was clear.
They ran.